Horrible experience with Naim Audio!!!

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altruistic.lemon

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Much ado about nothing if you ask me. There's a crackle when using the remote but nothing in playback, some scuff marks on a case and that's about it. I sometimes get mobile phone noise during playback with my amp, surely that's a more serious problem.
 

hone_u2

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chebby said:
hone_u2 said:
Yes, if you go on the Naim forums you will see the original threads of the crackle and the fascia marks...

But I was really put off when they locked the thread, so i deleted my account...

The topic is still open to replies.

(I also don't recall you mentioning here that you'd accidently pulled the volume knob off!)

OK, I'm glad that you yourself have atleast seen that the administrator was not aware of the issue... Also, please check if the post "Scratches out of the box" is still locked or not, Thats about the fascias... It'll be interesting to see if that's open too...

Also, I'm sorry about not mentioning me pulling the volume knob off, Naim's answer to me was that it was normal for that to happen during shipping... They told me to use superglue... And, one of the dealer's I went to once accidentally pulled a volume knob off of his demo unit too... Seriously? Let me clarify, I am not personally saying anything to you, I don't know why you seem to be thinking that... Peace :)
 

hone_u2

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BigH said:
As it was new why did you not get it replaced with a new one?

OK, here you go... this is the 'proof'...

Hi Big H, sorry could not reply to your previous questions,

I was told that when there was an amplifier with the problem being fixed, they would 'sort out the logistics', i am yet to hear from them, and no refund has even been mentioned...

Okay, these are the screenshots of the emails sent to me last year...

The first one I received after the distributor opened a new Nait out of the box, and tested it, and found the crackle, obviously, its clear that he also did not know about it... I was out on a holiday, and hence couldn't see him... But soon realized that it was useless, because there was no solution...

The second email, was sent to me by my dealer after a few days after they had apparently heard from Naim, honestly that quote in black italics is all I received, with the name of the engineer, I don't think I'm allowed to post email addresses on forums, I don't know...

http://imgur.com/NtPDGgn,n2rw4rO

Now, the 'affects the sound quality" was quite redundant for me because I could hear the crackle in mine from the nine o clock position, it was really really annoying! It might be inconsequential to many, but to some people like me it really does matter! Its a flaw, no matter how you look at it!

Now, these emails can again be seen in many different ways by skeptics and fans who do not want to admit to their favorite company doing this, "this never could happen" "he's lyin" etc... There is technical information in there that I cannot just make up!

But honestly, after this email, there has been no communication from Naim about this at all, and after telling me that I will get one after a fix is found... leads me to think that the new series also has this... Which really is weird...

Yes these emails are very polite and my responses believe it or not, were polite too... But it was only when I didn't see a resolution for months and then I had another issue with the fascias, and their reply was very prickly, I lost my cool... Its not everyday that someone calls the MD of a company you know...( And I called him first, he didn't know anything about what was going on until I got him involved)...

I only hope Naim come out, and genuinely promise to fix the issue... and tell us whether the new amps have the same problem or not (I haven't heard them).
 

hone_u2

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Bigsounds said:
I think you've read it wrong, it doesn't say all models have this problem, just yours and maybe a few other, certainly not all of them.

Please see the second image as well... http://imgur.com/NtPDGgn,n2rw4rO#1

It says they spotted it while DEVELOPING the XS... that translates to me as it is there from the very prototype...

Unless I've made a mistake there...
 

hone_u2

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BigH said:
Could you not have got a refund as they seemed unable to fix the problem?

Is NZ similar to UK where your contract is with the retailer not Naim?

Contract is with the local parties...

A refund was categorically denied for all products, by using the excuse that the 'products performed as intended'...
 
hone_u2 said:
Bigsounds said:
I think you've read it wrong, it doesn't say all models have this problem, just yours and maybe a few other, certainly not all of them.

Please see the second image as well... http://imgur.com/NtPDGgn,n2rw4rO#1

It says they spotted it while DEVELOPING the XS... that translates to me as it is there from the very prototype...

Unless I've made a mistake there...

That's the same as the 1st image. Please post the 2nd image.
 

hone_u2

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bigboss said:
hone_u2 said:
Bigsounds said:
I think you've read it wrong, it doesn't say all models have this problem, just yours and maybe a few other, certainly not all of them.

Please see the second image as well... http://imgur.com/NtPDGgn,n2rw4rO#1

It says they spotted it while DEVELOPING the XS... that translates to me as it is there from the very prototype...

Unless I've made a mistake there...

That's the same as the 1st image. Please post the 2nd image.

NO it's not.

They are two seperate emails... I have just checked again... Are you saying both the images look the same to you?

OK, these are two separate links...

1st email image

http://imgur.com/NtPDGgn,n2rw4rO#0

2nd email image

http://imgur.com/NtPDGgn,n2rw4rO#1

Even the links are different... if you notice...
 

hone_u2

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bigboss said:
I'm seeing the same message in both links. I'll try on a different browser when I get home.

Either ways, here is the link of that second message, i reuploaded it and took a different link

http://i.imgur.com/s9xPeL2.png hope this works...
 

ID.

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Definitely different messages.

It seems they thought that the issue was so minor as to be almost undetectable, and the solution was worse than leaving the problem because it deteriorated overall sound quality.

Not having experienced it myself, I could't comment on how minor or acceptable it is, although strictly speaking it does perform as intended because they intended to leave the issue as is rather than implement as solution that was worse than the original problem.

Sorry if I've missed this in the thread: did you ever ask for a refund, or did you just wait to be offered one?
 

hone_u2

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ID. said:
Definitely different messages.

It seems they thought that the issue was so minor as to be almost undetectable, and the solution was worse than leaving the problem because it deteriorated overall sound quality.

Not having experienced it myself, I could't comment on how minor or acceptable it is, although strictly speaking it does perform as intended because they intended to leave the issue as is rather than implement as solution that was worse than the original problem.

Sorry if I've missed this in the thread: did you ever ask for a refund, or did you just wait to be offered one?

Yes, i did ask for one... But I did give them sufficient time because as the email suggests, they 'urged' the technicians to solve the problem...

Also, the 'affects the sound quality" was quite redundant for me because I could hear the crackle in mine from the nine o clock position, it was really really annoying, and I heard it both when music played and of course without the music! It might be inconsequential to many, but to some people like me it really does matter! Its a flaw, no matter how you look at it...

From the units I've heard, the intensity of the problem varies... I suspect mine was one of the loudest... but I have heard machines where the crackle is constant as well... You will find these examples on the naim forum too I think...
 

hone_u2

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altruistic.lemon said:
Simple, don't use the remote.

I don't know how I missed this... ^^^

I really hope Naim aren't that ignorant about it...

AL, I understand you love your Naim, as a lot of people on this forum, you have received great customer service and you have the right to praise them!

But some around the World have had terrible experiences like me, I'm not the only one believe me! And even if this isn't the norm, the company's arrogance and their unscrupulous behaviour was just ridiculously frustrating!

Paul from Naim has not been nearly as helpful as Paul from Rega was to Steve.
 

jjbomber

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I found them just as bad of late. I am on my 3rd UnitiLite and it still won't play some CD-rs. I had to send off sample CDs, some of which worked all the time, some of which worked some of the time and some which didn't work at all.For the next 6 months the retailler phoned every week to find out what was happening and eventually got asingle reply, namely 'it's the customer's fault for recording CDs'. That surely tops don't use the remote as a reply. In the end I emailed Steve Hopkins who said it was the fault of the CD writing software that I used, even though all the discs were written with the same software. Eventually I got my CDs back.

I'd never buy another Naim unit, simple as that.
 

hone_u2

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jjbomber said:
I found them just as bad of late. I am on my 3rd UnitiLite and it still won't play some CD-rs. I had to send off sample CDs, some of which worked all the time, some of which worked some of the time and some which didn't work at all.For the next 6 months the retailler phoned every week to find out what was happening and eventually got asingle reply, namely 'it's the customer's fault for recording CDs'. That surely tops don't use the remote as a reply. In the end I emailed Steve Hopkins who said it was the fault of the CD writing software that I used, even though all the discs were written with the same software. Eventually I got my CDs back.

I'd never buy another Naim unit, simple as that.

That's too bad jjbomber! Must be really frustrating! When they say this 'it's the customer's fault for recording CDs', I think It means it's the customers fault for using naim.

What I have learnt... is that Naim themselves don't know their products... Steve Hopkins had NO IDEA of any of the problems I described to him on the phone... he just always said 'well that's strange', and it turned out the engineer who designed it knew everything about it for years. So much for effective communication.

My dealer came and told me that no matter how many replacements you get down, you will have the same problems, naim won't say that. He himself was shocked when the administrator on the naim forums admitted to the problem and cancelled a batch of fascias just after they refused me a replacement! Disgustingly Unscrupulous!

I wouldn't touch name with a barchpole either!
 

altruistic.lemon

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The thread you pointed to explained the problem with the fascias and also offered to sell the flawed ones - and they were tiny flaws - cheaper. What do you want, mate? Even the remote noise thing is tiny, and, if you have the problem, its only when operating the remote so we're talking one or two seconds max!!!

Honestly, I'd have more of a beef with the Naim whump throught the speakers when you turn on, but that's a design thing no-one's worried about for years.
 

hone_u2

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altruistic.lemon said:
The thread you pointed to explained the problem with the fascias and also offered to sell the flawed ones - and they were tiny flaws - cheaper. What do you want, mate? Even the remote noise thing is tiny, and, if you have the problem, its only when operating the remote so we're talking one or two seconds max!!!

Honestly, I'd have more of a beef with the Naim whump throught the speakers when you turn on, but that's a design thing no-one's worried about for years.

It's not about the problem, it's about how they dealt with it. Throughout the whole thread, you have only sided with naim and in places you have been justified, you have had a good experience, but, THEY ARE NOT GOD (If a thing like that exists), they will make mistakes... which is also pardonable if they deal them... But here, they were unjust, they tried to push the matter under the carpet, and their dealer and distributor were frustrated because Naim didn't have the presence of mind to let them know something they have known before. THOSE ARE PATHETIC WORK ETHICS, whichever way you look at it.
 

Sospri

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Can't see you getting any joy keep bumping this old thread,

They have probably got you down as a pain in the *****,

I can see their point.................
 

hone_u2

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Sospri said:
They have probably got you down as a pain in the *****,

Well then they probably should get to work on improving their pathetic communication within themselves, and improve their quality standards at the price they ask for their products.
 

hone_u2

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And honestly about bumping, I'm really not that childish,

I merely just replied to a comment I thought was quite ignorant...

A lot of the comments on this thread have been without completely reading and understanding my original post. Naim have an excellent reputation in customer service, I really am NOT DENYING that, but if a company is behaving like this with someone, it is NOT ETHICAL. I was a naim fan too, for quite some years! and probably would have said the same things that AL and Sospri have said in defense of the company. But really think if something like this were to happen to you tomorrow and you get a hard time sticking with your music... The company literally shuns you for any service, and when you talk about it on the forum to make others aware of the issue, you are raided by loyal naim fans, and looking at that, the company goes... Oh that's fine! People still are okay with the whole issue they still love us, we can take it easy on this!
 

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